I began to trot up the stairs after being consumed in the light of a stray light post. It had been a lot more eventful of a night with more taken coming after me, along with having to grieve for the loss of a great friend. But i would lose a greater friend if I didn't get a move on. I reached the top and came across a small tram. I activated it, but had a very bad feeling about using it. The feeling grew even higher when it started squealing with the sound of rust. I hopped on and it started going down by itself. Even though it was against my nature, I stopped trying to make sense of things.
I suddenly felt a tiny gust of wind fly by my head and noticed that it was a bird as black as night. I thought nothing of it, until I turned back and saw a flock of at least 25 more flying right at the cage. I didn't have time to react as they slammed into it and caused it to start swinging uncontrollably.
"Oh jeez this is gonna be bad!" I said as the cage slammed into the other side of the tram system, causing me to fall on my stomach and drop both my gun and light. Taken had already surrounded me by the time my daze had left. I tried to reach for my flashlight before a darkened hoof had stomped in front of it. I covered my face, expecting my vision to fade along with the searing pain. Instead, a flare had appeared out of nowhere, along with gunshots, which caused all the taken to be engulfed in their flashes of death.
"Come on Princess, we gotta get moving. More of 'em coming!" I opened my eyes to see a light red pegasus with forest camouflage gear on, from head to hoof. I got up and picked up my flashlight. "That flashlight's filly junk. The flares will keep the bastards away." He pulled out a flare and handed it to me. He must've been dealing with these things for as long as I have, maybe even longer.
"You can see them too?" I asked, reluctant to actually meet somepony else dealing with this problem.
"Hell, of course I can see 'em. C'mon, we gotta move. We gotta get the the shed containing all the Winter Wrap Up gear."
"Why? Why there specifically?"
"Ha ha ha ha! Because that's what the next lesson talks about!"
"What are you--"
"Let's move." He was clearly getting impatient at this point.
"I lost my gun back there."
"Oh, I've got a gun. Just keep that light steady on 'em!"
It took a moment, but then I recognized him. He'd been on the train when I'd first arrived here with Spike. He knew who I was. We were heading in the direction of Lovers' Peak. There was no way this was a coincidence. He was the kidnapper. We headed to a gate when two taken had ambushed us. I aimed the flashlight right at them and almost forgot I didn't have my weapon anymore. I slightly jumped when the stallion began firing at them, he wasn't bad. Before the second one had vanished, it managed to chuck an axe at me. I managed to dodge out of the way, but when I did, everything seemed to move in slow motion. I actually seemed to do that a lot when I avoided blows from these things. We passed by a tree before three more appeared. This was when I realized that he was a terrible shot. He missed at least 5 shots before killing two of them. The third one began charging at me, its darkness already drained. The stallion didn't even notice at first, then saw I was missing. He finished it off, then walked up to a door with wooden boards all over it.
"Use the flairs I gave ya to to hold 'em off while i get these boards off." At this point, I was getting fed up with him.
"Give me the gun."
"Heh. No can do, Sparks."
"Are you kidding? Give me the gun, that's an order!"
"No time for royal disputes, here they come!"
I turned and saw 3 to 4 taken coming at us. By the time I turned back to him, he had already moved two of the boards. I saw the taken approaching fast, so I did something foolishly brave. I ran right into them and turned on the flare, causing the darkened ponies to be knocked back and flee behind the trees, almost hissing at me. When the flare ran out, they came back out brandishing their weapons. I looked back to see the door open with the stallion nowhere in sight. He certainly was fast, but absolutely disrespectful.
"What in Tartarus! I'm gonna--" I then heard more gunshots appear with his figure from the door, blasting the taken in front of us.
"You're gonna die if you don't move it!" I ran past him and into a light shinning down on the wooden room. I sat down and began to breath slowly to try and calm my nerves. The light somehow filled me with energy, it felt almost relaxing. "Aw, you feeling better now, Sparks? All cozy and safe?" He said as he walked behind the light and stopped firing. I guess the taken won't try to get past or touch any kind of light. We both ascended the stairs and approached a wooden catwalk, with the shed to the right of it. We walked to the edge of the catwalk, trying to catch our bearings.
"This is it Princess! The last stand! Here's the rest of my flares." He handed me at east 4 more flares from his pockets. He then walked to the front of the catwalk and pointed his pistol out in the darkness. "Get ready, we fight them as long as they keep coming.
"Give me the goddamn gun! They're coming!" I was getting extremely mad at this point.
"That's not how this goes! Get with the program, Sparkle." A group of taken had began attacking when activated a flare and threw it at them and shinning my light at them. The stallion began firing and soon we had dealt with them quickly. "Huh, guess we thinned the herd tonight."
"Let's cut the act now. Where's my friend?"
I knew you were gonna say that. I understood what type of pony you were when I read those lessons. You're a pretty unique analyst when it comes to this stuff. You're gonna created something magical and frightening, once we get some... actual magic in these papers."
"What in Celestia's name are you talking about? Where's Spike?"
" I want the entire Journal of friendship letters... Or he's gonna suffer bad." He then traced his hoof across his neck.
"You touch him and I'll END YOU!!!" I screamed at him as I pushed him back with a force spell. He fell off the catwalk onto the ground below. Looking up at me, he got up quickly and started taking off into the air. I tried shooting him with a few paralysis spell, but he dodged every one. I flew after him, but by the time I got up to his elevation level, he'd ducked into the woods. There's now way I would go in after him in there. I didn't even have my gun. I looked back at where he fell and saw he dropped a paper. It was one of the lessons of friendship. When I read it, the location he picked made more sense.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Winter Wrap Up was one of the most special things I've ever been a part of here in Ponyville. It helped me to learn that we all have hidden talents, and if we're patient and diligent we're sure to find them. And as always, with good friendship and teamwork, ponies can accomplish anything...
I heard a scream that sounded like Pinkie Pie. I immediately flew in the direction of the scream, hoping that Pinkie would be okay by the time I get there. By the time I arrived at the lodge, There were birds everywhere surrounding the lodge. I could here Pinkie freaking out from inside. She saw me fly and started trying to say what happened.
"Twilight, thank Celestia you're here! These birds showed up and won't leave. I tried giving them pie and making them laugh, but they just ignored me and started attacking me. I've been in hear waiting it out, but they won't leave. Please make them go away."
"These aren't normal birds Pinkie. Their taken over by what I was telling you about. Just stay in there and don't come out until I say so!" She bolted away from the window and locked all the doors and windows. I got all the birds attention by screaming at them. They all started flying at me in a group, almost surrounding me. I took a deep breath and concentrated as best as I could. My eyes erupted into light and my horn shinned brighter. I unleashed my magic with a massive force and erupted into my own sun, blasting all the birds into oblivion. I opened my eyes slowly as I faintly landed on the ground, with Pinkie rushing from the lodge to help me.
"Hey, Twi. I'm -- I'm sorry for thinking you were having an overactive imagination."
"It's fine. As long as you're safe." My horn started vibrating and I activated it after a few times. I was still recovering from the spell. It was the kidnapper. He had a unicorn mare with him in a similar outfit. "You son of a bitch! Where's Spike?"
"Twilight! Mind your mouth." She almost never hears me swear.
"Enough manplay Sparky. You deliver the Journal and you can have the dragon back. Simple as that."
"I don't -- listen, I'm gonna need time to rewrite them all. I need... a week."
"You don't have them?"
"I need a week."
"Two days! The old Bright Foals Coal Mine is nearby. You can find it easy, Princess. The main building, there at noon. You bring the journal with all the lessons you've written. If not, well... Get me?"
"Yes. Yes, I get you." The unicorn then abruptly ended the call. Pinkie got this confused look on her face.
"What, not even a goodbye?" She looked at me and noticed my head was down. She wrapped her arm around me and embraced me in a much needed hug. "Twilight, what's going on?"